- Name: Ellen DeGeneres
- Date of Birth: January 26, 1958
- Place of Birth: Metairie, Louisiana, USA
Mini-bio:
Ellen DeGeneres got her start in stand up comedy which has lead to several film roles and TV shows bearing her name. Her current day time talk show has won fifteen Emmy awards and is adored by fans an...( read more)
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| Quick Links: |
 | | Ellen DeGeneres IMDB | Career, Awards & Links | Quotes | | Ellen's Official Site | | |
"Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself
through the eyes of others."
- Ellen DeGeneres -
Ellen DeGeneres was born on January 26th, 1958 in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, at the Ochsner Hospital. She has a brother, Vance, who is four years older. She was raised a Christian Scientist and claims not to have had any experience with asprin until she was 15. Her favorite band was the Monkees and she had a crush on actor Robby Benson (Ode To Billy Joe) who, ironically directed her show "Ellen".
During her second year of High School Ellen's parents split and she moved with her mother to Atlanta, Texas, which she described as a huge culture shock. Her father and Vance stayed in New Orleans. It was during this time that Ellen realised she had a natural knack for making people laugh as she was forever fooling around mocking her mother's dancing to try and make her a little happier.
As soon as she graduated from High School in 1976, Ellen moved back to New Orleans.She had no plans to go to college and no idea what she was going to do - but she didn't care! She began working at a series of places including as an oyster-shucker in a restaurant and a door-to-door salesperson. Ellen then started working as an emcee at a local venue called Clyde's Corner in 1981 at age 23. After about 12 months the place suddenly closed down and after that for about a year she was a court runner for a law firm. During this time she entered the Funniest Person in New Orleans contest. Even though she was very sick, Ellen won. She then won for the state of Louisiana and then for the whole of America. In 1983 Ellen then moved to San Fransisco headlining with the title "The funniest person in America".
In 1986 she moved on to Los Angeles and worked at many venues including The Improv in Hollywood. It was here that, at the advise of Jay Leno, "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" sent a booker to watch her routine. She made her "Tonight Show" debut that year - earning the distinction of being the only female comic to be invited by Carson to sit on the couch on a first appearance. She subsequently appeared with Johnny Carson six times and has made regular appearances on Jay Leno, The Late Show with Letterman, Arsenio Hall Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show to name just a few. Ellen has also won 1991's American Comedy Award for best Female Comedy Club Stand-up. Her unique comedic talents were also heralded when she received a Cable ACE Award nomination for her HBO one woman show "Command Performance: One Night Stand. "Ellen made her first splash in television series comedy as office oddball Margo Van Meter on "Open House". Her second series role in 1992 was as nurse Nancy MacIntyre in "Laurie Hill". In 1992 Ellen knocked back a role in what would become the hit series "Friends".
through the eyes of others."
- Ellen DeGeneres -
|
Ellen DeGeneres was born on January 26th, 1958 in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, at the Ochsner Hospital. She has a brother, Vance, who is four years older. She was raised a Christian Scientist and claims not to have had any experience with asprin until she was 15. Her favorite band was the Monkees and she had a crush on actor Robby Benson (Ode To Billy Joe) who, ironically directed her show "Ellen".
During her second year of High School Ellen's parents split and she moved with her mother to Atlanta, Texas, which she described as a huge culture shock. Her father and Vance stayed in New Orleans. It was during this time that Ellen realised she had a natural knack for making people laugh as she was forever fooling around mocking her mother's dancing to try and make her a little happier.
As soon as she graduated from High School in 1976, Ellen moved back to New Orleans.She had no plans to go to college and no idea what she was going to do - but she didn't care! She began working at a series of places including as an oyster-shucker in a restaurant and a door-to-door salesperson. Ellen then started working as an emcee at a local venue called Clyde's Corner in 1981 at age 23. After about 12 months the place suddenly closed down and after that for about a year she was a court runner for a law firm. During this time she entered the Funniest Person in New Orleans contest. Even though she was very sick, Ellen won. She then won for the state of Louisiana and then for the whole of America. In 1983 Ellen then moved to San Fransisco headlining with the title "The funniest person in America".
In 1986 she moved on to Los Angeles and worked at many venues including The Improv in Hollywood. It was here that, at the advise of Jay Leno, "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" sent a booker to watch her routine. She made her "Tonight Show" debut that year - earning the distinction of being the only female comic to be invited by Carson to sit on the couch on a first appearance. She subsequently appeared with Johnny Carson six times and has made regular appearances on Jay Leno, The Late Show with Letterman, Arsenio Hall Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show to name just a few. Ellen has also won 1991's American Comedy Award for best Female Comedy Club Stand-up. Her unique comedic talents were also heralded when she received a Cable ACE Award nomination for her HBO one woman show "Command Performance: One Night Stand. "Ellen made her first splash in television series comedy as office oddball Margo Van Meter on "Open House". Her second series role in 1992 was as nurse Nancy MacIntyre in "Laurie Hill". In 1992 Ellen knocked back a role in what would become the hit series "Friends".
Relationships Anne Heche: Together 1997 - 2000 Alexandra Hedison: Together 2001 - 2004 Portia de Rossi: Together 2004 - Now: Married
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Ellen & Portia
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| Full Name: | Ellen Lee DeGeneres | ||||
| Height: | 5' 7½" (1.71 m) | ||||
| Eyes: | Icy Blue | ||||
| Hair: | Blonde | ||||
| Star Sign: | Western - Aquarius Chinese - Dog | ||||
| Notable features: | Blue eyes, quirky observational humor | ||||
| Trade mark: | Blue sneakers | ||||
| Heritage: | French, English, German, Irish | ||||
| Nationality: | American | ||||
| Education: | Grace King High School, Metairie, LA, USA Atlanta High School, Atlanta, TX, USA University of New Orleans, LA, USA majored in communications but left ater one semester to work in a law firm with her cousin Laura Gillen. | ||||
| Family: | Father: Elliott DeGeneres Mother: Elizabeth (Betty) Jane Pfeffer Brother: Vance DeGeneres Wife: Portia de Rossi | ||||
| Resides in: | Los Angeles, CA, USA | ||||
| Religious affiliation: | Christian Science | ||||
| Interests/hobbies: | Animals, making people laugh | ||||
| Charities/Causes: |
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| Ellen as Author: | Has written two books:
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| Hosted: | 79th Annual Academy Awards 2007 [was a dream of hers] 38th (1996) and 39th (1997) Annual Grammy Awards 53rd (2001) and 57th (2005) Primetime Emmy Awards |
"My first show was Ellen. The second show was The Ellen Show. And now, it's The Ellen DeGeneres Show. And then I'm out, because I'm out of names."
- Ellen DeGeneres -
- Ellen DeGeneres -
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As of September 2006, this was/is Ellen's life list:- Be more patient
- Take tennis lessons
- Learn another language
- Do more to help New Orleans
- Learn how to use a computer
- Visit Amsterdam
- Go to Africa
Ellen was originally offered Sandra Bullock's role in Speed (1994)
Some of Ellen's comedy influences are Steve Martin, Woody Allen, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball.
Ellen loves to play tennis and poker.
Ellen has set up a 'Hurricane Katrina' relief fund, that raised seven million dollars. But she has also donated much more.
Ellen has always said that she would like to be more patient
ED: "Patience, I’m having a hard time with patience. Compassion I have and kindness, just hurry up about it, you know what I’m sayin’?"
Ellen knocked it out of the park, hosting the 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards after the 9/11 tragedy. She received several standing ovations and widespread critical acclaim for her work in a post 9/11 atmosphere. At one point she emerged on staged wearing a rip-off of the swan dress Bjork once notoriously wore to the Oscars, joking "I guess this is business casual". She famously said:
ED: "We're told to go on living our lives as usual, because to do otherwise is to let the terrorists win, and really, what would upset the Taliban more than a gay woman wearing a suit in front of a room full of Jews?"
In 1986 Ellen made her first appearance on 'The Tonight Show' where she performed her famous 'Phone Call to God' monologue. She became the first woman comedienne ever to be invited to sit on the couch by host Johnny Carson, arguably launching her career.
After futile efforts to quit smoking, in October 2005 Ellen had British hypnotist Paul McKenna put her in a trance to kick the habit. The event was shown on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' and the experience left Ellen sobbing as she remembered her smoking past. Ellen had often said she doesn't "look like somebody who should smoke" and she should be a "role model" for others. Grateful Ellen said to McKenna "You've helped me tremendously and probably saved my life, definitely changed my life", she hasn't smoked since.
Ellen came out to her mother Betty when she was 19 - 20. Initially shocked, but now Betty is one of Ellen's biggest supporters and is an active member of PFLAG and spokesperson for the HRC Coming Out Project. She regularly sits in the audience on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'.
She believes everyone is spiritual if you just tap into it, and she believes God is a "label for something".
One of Ellen's favorite games is Charades.
She believes that children are growing up too fast and seeing too much.
ED: "They have to have some innocence; there's just no innocence left."
She likes to go antique shopping.
She loves watching Amrican Idol.
She is proud to be from New Orleans and says she loves that city.
Ellen likes observing people, she says it's something she has done ever since she was a kid, and it's a big reason why she became a comedienne.
Ellen is friends with, K.D Lang, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kathy Najimy, Melissa Etheridge and Sacha Baron Cohen, among others.
As shown many times on her vlogs, Ellen likes to work out on an elliptical machine while watching Animal Planet.
Ellen usually wears Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, Neil Barrett, Viktor & Rolf and she loves Raf Simons.
ED: "I love clothes, so when I wear clothes, they're usually somebody's. You know, I'm not wearing Kmart."
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Fan Mail The Ellen DeGeneres Show PO Box 7788 Burbank, CA 91523 USA |
| | Ellen DeGeneres IMDB | Career, Awards & Links | Quotes | | Ellen's Official Site | | |
| © 2009 Flixster.com |
Meet Other Fans
Comments
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robertfrancis2009posted 35 days ago -
hi robert i watch your show week days. this my e-mail robertfrancis2009@live.com.au your is enjoyable,fun,show to watch
posted 56 days ago -
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Congrats you'd be on O magazine, I love your program... KISSES from Costa Rica!!!
Rashelposted 263 days ago -
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![Oprah & Ellen O Magazine December 2009 [Cover Photo]](http://content8.flixster.com/photo/12/41/56/12415646_tmb.jpg)
